An Unusual Request
by LuluCalliope
Summary: The tale of Bambi's three children and the secrets they uncover about their father's youth, as well as the unusual last request made by Bambi's father. Dedicated to an unnamed Guest.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: The title and inspiration for this story came from a review that I received for my story "I'll Be Seeing You". The review, which was written by an anonymous Guest, asked for me to try to write a sequel to Bambi. I'll do my best, but I make no promises that it'll be good. This story is dedicated to the unnamed Guest.**

Chapter One

Faline turned to her babies, smiling at the three of them. They were triplets, not twins, but the well-wishers only managed to see the elder two before Friend Owl had shooed them all out. She had thought about telling the crowd of admirers about the baby they had overlooked, but decided not to. She couldn't help but chuckle at how surprised they all would be when she and her children were strong enough to go walking together.

The fawns were awake, but getting very sleepy. The boys—two of the three—had curled up and started to rest. The girl had fallen asleep well before them, and she showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. Faline nuzzled her sons first.

"Geno and Gobo," she whispered, naming them. And then she repeated the same gesture with her daughter, naming her Gurri, after her late mother-in-law. And she inclined her head up towards the sky, thinking happily about what the Owl had said earlier. _"Prince Bambi ought to be mighty proud…"_

She could hardly wait to show her mate their creations, the miracles of life. She nestled against her children and thought eagerly of when that day would come.

* * *

Bambi and his father stood on top of a large cliff overlooking their kingdom. Bambi could see the trees that covered the glade his mate lived in. Faline had given birth to their children after many long months of pregnancy, and he was impatient to meet them. He wished that he knew when the time would come. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the Great Prince of the Forest, his father. He seemed to know everything. Nothing surprised him, but Bambi was still stunned by many things that he learned from his father, including the conversation that they had.

"I must leave you now," the older stag said simply, and Bambi stiffened. He understood what his father meant, and it pained him. Did he really have to lose another parent at such a happy moment in his life? "Before I go," the Great Prince continued, "there is one thing that I must ask of you." Bambi nodded once, the prongs on his antlers glinting in the sunlight. He would have done anything for his father, but nothing had prepared him for this unusual request. "Do you promise me that you will not return to the thicket?" Bambi was puzzled, but he nodded solemnly, giving his father his word. "You can't go back," the old stag told him sternly. "There is nothing for you there. Do not go back." Then his voice softened, and he left Bambi alone on the cliff. The last words he said to his son were, "Farewell. I loved you dearly."

The new Great Prince of the Forest stepped closer to the edge of the cliff. He wished that there were no trees to hide the view of his family. He wished that he could see them, and that they could see him.

* * *

_Review, please! :)_

_Longer chapters ahead, I promise!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Faline was glad that the time had come for her to show the children the meadow for the very first time.

"Mother, where are we going today?" Geno asked, bounding up to her. His muscles were knotted tightly together, and he was the strongest out of all his siblings. He was a beauty, but his brother and sister were, too. Gobo had the longest legs, and he could run like the wind. He and his sister were slender and fair, and his mother knew from instinct that he would have antlers just like his father…not to mention that she always made her think fondly of the times she had spent with her own brother, also named Gobo. And Gurri was dainty and prim, but also hyper and talkative. She was so much fun to be around, and it was impossible to be bored when in her company.

Their mother smiled at these thoughts, proud to have had such three fine children. "Today we're going to a place called the meadow. You'll meet other deer there."

"Will other animals be there?" Gurri asked eagerly. She and her brothers had made many good friends already. They loved playing with Mr. Rabbit's children, especially his daughter, the giddy Flouncy. And they all loved to see Bambi, the only child to be born to Mr. Skunk. He was so shy, but very kind.

"Perhaps they will," Faline answered honestly. "Now, keep quiet, and we'll be there soon."

"Why do we have to be quiet?" Geno wondered, slowing down to walk beside his mother.

"The meadow is not just a place for fun and games," she murmured. "You must always be weary of danger when you are out in the meadow, especially Man."

"What's Man?" Gobo questioned.

"A threat to us all," she said to him. "He will not hesitate to harm us. So if there is anything wrong to you, turn and head straight back to the forest. Do not wait for me to give you permission to do so. Do you understand?" They nodded. It was rare for their mother to be so serious, and whenever she was, they listened to her every word.

"Look, look over there!" Faline looked up from her meal. Her eyes brightened with recognition.

"Why, that's little Luria!" She walked over to say hello, her children trudging behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at them and laughed. "Oh, come on. She'll be good company for you." They met up with the other fawn soon, and she seemed unfazed at being in the presence of three newcomers.

"Hello!" She laughed, fluttering her eyelashes. Her eyes were big and green, and she seemed just as vivacious as Gurri was. The triplets backed away from her, feeling suddenly shy.

"Oh, go on," Faline encouraged. "Say hello to her. She won't bite." She remembered that her mate, Bambi, behaved like their children were acting when they first met…and she had seen him for the first time on the meadow…

Her children stood there silently, and then Gurri laughed for joy and engaged Luria in a game of tag. Her brothers soon joined in, and they ran to the other side of the meadow, already the best of friends. They paused about a quarter of a mile away from a small pond, and then Gobo cried out in shock.

"What's wrong with you?" Geno demanded, giving his brother a concerned look. As the oldest, he tended to be protective of his younger brother and sister. At times this behavior was sweet, and at others, it was irritating.

But he soon saw what had startled his brother: there was another deer by the pond, drinking from it. "Who is that?" Geno asked, staring at the new fawn. This was a boy about their age, with dark-colored fur and long ears. Luria saw him and brightened.

"That's Vino," she said. "He's nice! Let's go say hi!" She ran up to the new fawn eagerly, with the other three following behind, still a little timid about meeting new people. "Hello, Vino!" Luria cried out, and the stranger raised his head up from the water. He grinned when he saw Luria, and he sprinted over to meet her.

"Hello, Luria! Who are they?" He asked, his dark eyes widening with surprise as he took in the triplets.

"That's Gobo, Geno, and Gurri," she said happily, introducing him. "This is their first time on the meadow!"

"It's yours, too," Vino reminded her impatiently, smiling at the princes and princess.

"But I've been here all day," she pouted, and the triplets laughed along with Vino.

"The fathers will be passing by soon," Gobo soon said. This was something that he and his siblings had been looking forward to. Flouncy had told them that every so often, the stags went out onto the meadow to be with the fawns and does. She had described them with such exaggerated details that the fawns reached a point where they weren't sure if the little hare was telling the truth or not. They had to see for themselves.

"I'm going to watch for my father," Vino announced. "Let's all go!"

"Yes, but first, show them the Place!" Luria insisted.

"What's the Place?" Geno asked curiously.

"I'll show you," Vino said mysteriously. "Follow me. I only found it this morning." He glanced around quickly, trying to locate their mothers. Most of the does had gathered by a small field of blossoms and were eating and socializing. None of them would notice if the children disappeared for a moment or two. Vino ducked back into the woods and led his four friends down an unfamiliar path. They didn't meet a lot of animals during their long walk, except for an occasional squirrel or chipmunk. The air felt thick with suspense, and the triplets felt the temptation to run back to the meadow and the comfort of their mother. But at last, they stepped out of the forest and in front of the Place.

It was a cliff, but you could hardly see it through the crowds of trees that surrounded it. It was small, but at the same time, it was impressive. All five fawns were in awe of it. Gurri and Luria hung back, unable to bring themselves closer to it, but the boys walked ahead and paced around the base of it slowly. After a few moments of this, Gobo grew bored and began to climb the cliff.

"Come back, Gobo!" Geno called, retreating to join his sister and Luria. Vino followed, but Gobo did not join them. He continued to climb.

"This is my side of the mountain!" Gobo declared loudly, his voice echoing throughout the forest. He stood on the edge proudly, imagining himself as an adult. He saw that the other fawns were looking up at him, but they looked shocked at his performance. "What is it?" He called down to them, and then realized that their eyes weren't on him, but on something behind him. He turned slowly and found that one of the stags was standing behind him. His antlers were long and beautiful to behold, and his coat was a rich, dark brown graced with silver. Gobo backed away from him, feeling just as shocked as his siblings and friends were. Even he had not heard the stag approaching.

"Where are your mothers?" He demanded in a deep, magnificent voice, looking down at the other four.

"The meadow, sir," Geno answered, his voice quivering. He spoke barely above a whisper, but the stag heard him perfectly and nodded once in acknowledgement.

"I will take you back to them. Do not leave their side until you are able to." He turned and walked off of the cliff. Gobo followed him, his head bent in shame. It wasn't long before all five fawns were reunited, and they followed the stag back down the path that they had come from. Some felt disappointed that the Place was not a secret one, but a special area that seemed to belong solely to this particular father.

"Who are you?" Gurri whispered. But she received no answer, for she already knew what the response would be. He was the Great Prince of the Forest, the stag that all of the deer and creatures of the forest gossiped about in reverent tones of voice. The children wondered how everyone would react when the Great Prince led them out onto the meadow. The mothers would certainly be surprised and confused!

They had reached the meadow, but they did not go on. The Great Prince froze, sniffing the air anxiously. His ears fluttered about a few times, and he gazed out onto the meadow cautiously. The children were suddenly aware that everything seemed too quiet on the opposite side of the meadow. Only the birds were calling, and they were screaming for attention. And the air smelled stale and strong, nothing like the forest should have smelled.

"What's wrong?" Gobo asked, his eyes growing wide with fright. The Great Prince relaxed his muscles, but something was still wrong. He used his antlers to herd the fawns behind a small clump of trees. They laid down there and looked up at him, puzzled by his strange behavior.

"Do not move from this spot," the Great Prince ordered, avoiding the question. "No matter what you see or hear, do not move from this spot. When you see me running back towards you, take off running, but do not wait for me to catch up." They nodded their understanding, and the Prince vanished.

Then chaos broke out on the meadow. There were sounds like thunder, and the children thought that they would never hear anything again. But they could see fine, and they saw their neighbors and friends being wounded by some unknown object from far off in the distance, way on the other side of the meadow. Those who weren't harmed were running past them towards safety, and all of the children were tempted to join them. But they thought of how angry the Great Prince would be with them if they moved a muscle, and stayed still, paralyzed with fright. Eventually, the panic died, but they remained frozen.

Three hours must have passed before they felt that it was safe to move again. They got to their feet shakily, and heard the bleating call of three separate does coming closer. Each child recognized their name, and they ran in the direction of the calls. They were reunited with their mothers and the Great Prince. The triplets were embraced by Faline, and Luria and Vino were kissed by their mothers. They all turned to the Great Prince and bent their heads in gratitude and respect.

"Thank you, Noble Prince Bambi," the mothers of Luria and Vino said in hushed tones. They let their children nestle against them for comfort, and then went off to their homes. Faline remained with the Great Prince. Her children watched as she kissed him slowly on the mouth, whispering a sincere thank you. Bambi returned her kiss, and the triplets understood that they were looking at their father, the most powerful deer in the forest.

As they were led home, they were silent and thoughtful. They wondered if they would ever see their father again, and if the conditions would be better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much, AngelTheDeer and greatbigsealover44 for reviewing! But if the Guest who first asked for this story is reading this…can you please let me know what you think so far? (And in answer to your question, Angel, yes, those were the last spoken words of the Great Prince in the book.)**

Chapter Three

Geno, Gurri, and Gobo loved to visit the meadow with their mother, but one day they decided not to go with her. She had been giving them more freedom as they aged, and they weren't sure if they liked it or not. But what they did like was the opportunity to visit with their friends, especially Bambi, Flouncy, Vino, and Luria. They met with all of them by a small stream in the center of the meadow, and they just stood there, chatting and eating blossoms.

And then Flouncy stood on her hind legs and scratched her ears. "I know a secret," she announced pertly.

"It won't be a secret if you tell us," Luria said patronizingly, smiling.

"My father told me it," the hare continued, "and it's about your father," she concluded, looking at the triplets.

"Our father is the Great Prince," Geno said simply. "He shouldn't keep secrets."

"Well, he is," Flouncy insisted. "At least…I think he is."

Gurri narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"My father told me that my mother told him that your mother told her that your father said that he's not allowed to visit the place where he was born," Flouncy explained in one breath. Bambi looked confused, but the other deer looked impatient. By some miracle, they had managed to hear every word that the bunny had spoken.

"Where was our father born, oh wise one?" Gobo asked sarcastically.

"I'm not sure," Flouncy admitted. "But I know someone who does know. Let's go see him. I know where he lives." She scampered off, and the fawns followed, with Bambi bringing up the rear.

* * *

Flouncy led them down trails that were out in the open. Almost all of the children had walked by them when they were babies learning how to walk. She paused in front of a tall tree, where a sleeping owl rested on one of the branches. She began to pound her foot on the ground, shouting "Wake up, Friend Owl!"

"Oh, what is it now?" The old fellow groaned as he stirred and opened his eyes. He brightened when he saw the triplets. "Why, if it isn't the Young Princes and Princess…this is a pleasant surprise!"

"Friend Owl," Flouncy cried out. "Do you know where the Great Prince was born? We want to go there!"

"Well, I do know, but why are you youngsters so curious about it?"

"The Great Prince doesn't go there anymore, and we want to know why that is," Flouncy insisted.

"Their mother knows that we're going there," Vino lied quickly.

"Why doesn't she take you?" The Owl demanded.

"She's busy," Geno said, and Friend Owl finally gave in, giving them the directions to the old thicket. The children dashed off, but Gurri and Gobo were furious with Vino.

"Why did you lie to him?" Gobo demanded. "Our mother doesn't know about this!"

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," he explained. "Besides, this is supposed to be a secret, right?" The others agreed, but Gurri decided that they would tell their parents that they had been to the old thicket.

"Father may not go there anymore, but who says that we aren't allowed to?" After some debating, any doubts that the children had about going to their father's place of origin melted away. But Bambi did have one question.

"I thought that everything in the old forest was destroyed in the fire by Man," he said.

"A few places survived," Flouncy explained. "My father says that the thicket was at the edge of the forest, away from the fire. It was mostly untouched."

"Really, is that true?" Bambi asked, his eyes wide.

"Let's go see for ourselves!"

* * *

They had wandered around a desolate, bare place for many hours. All of them were hungry, but no grass grew for them to eat. And the air smelled awful. This was the result of Man, and they were extremely afraid as they proceeded into the remains of the past.

"Here we are," Flouncy cried out at last, bouncing over to a small, secluded place. Some tiny flowers grew there, and Bambi and Vino began to feast on it, pausing to offer some to the others. They all had a small share, but the triplets finished early to examine the new place. It was a lot like their glade, only smaller. Only two adult deer could have fit inside. This was where their father learned to walk and talk. The triplets entered, walked around, and found nothing.

"This isn't so bad," Geno said with surprise. "There's nothing the matter here!"

"Aside from the lack of blossoms, you mean," Flouncy added glumly.

"It smells like Man," Luria complained. "I don't think it's safe here."

"Man wouldn't come back after what He did to their home," Vino said sharply, glancing around cautiously in spite of himself.

"So then why would Father not want to come here?" Geno muttered, also giving his surroundings a cautious stare.

"Let's take him here!" Gurri suggested. "Then he'll see that there's nothing wrong."

"Won't he be mad?" Gobo wondered.

"If there's nothing wrong here, then there's nothing wrong with us being here," Geno reasoned, and the others agreed.

"But we should go now," Luria urged. "It's getting dark, and my mother will be worried."

"Mine, too," Vino nodded. He turned to the triplets as they walked away. "Do you want for us to be here when you bring your father to his home?"

Gurri cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "No, I don't think so," she said at last. "He might be cross if everyone starts coming here."

"And we don't want for you to get in trouble," Gobo added, looking at the other two fawns and the skunk and hare. "Man may not come here anymore, but it still seems dangerous. We should all be careful. Father would be happier if only small groups came here at a time."

"I agree," Luria said softly. "I don't think I should come back here. My mother might be angry if I start disappearing during the day."

"If anyone asks, it's my father's fault," Flouncy giggled.

"But it's also Friend Owl's. We should thank him," Vino chuckled, and the others laughed as they walked home.

* * *

_Review, please! :)_


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